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Jarrett Bay uses epoxy
resin, which doesn’t produce the heat (hence the term “cold”
molded) or fumes that polyurethane and vinylester resins do. In fact,
I noticed the complete absence of fumes at the Jarrett Bay plant; visiting
this construction facility was a breath of fresh air, literally, compared
to some production facilities I have walked through.
The result of the countless
hours of sanding and fairing is obvious in the mirror-like finish on a
Jarrett Bay hull. Of course, this degree of hands-on work and customization
does require a longer wait period than a production-line boat. Design
concept to project completion takes about 16 months on average, depending
on the size and scope of the project (some have taken more than three
years), Davis reports, whereas people can walk into a production boat
dealership and have a boat delivered to them in far less time. Says Tate
Lawrence, who meets with customers and focuses on the second half of construction,
“I do anything the customer wants, he’s just gotta be willing
to wait for it.” But because of the way they’re built, says
Davis, Jarrett Bay hulls are much lighter (“by about 20,000 pounds”)
than comparable fiberglass boats and quieter (because of their wooden
structure, the wood acts as a sound absorber). And he claims they’re
stronger than a number of boats on the market today.
As for the way a Jarrett
Bay performs on the water, I have yet to test one, and the water was flat
calm on the day PMY Editor-in-Chief Richard Thiel tested the 68-foot
Jarrett Bay he recently wrote about (“Personal Best,” March
2003). But what I can tell you is that if waiting a bit longer than you
would have to for a production boat doesn’t bother you, and if you’re
willing to go back to basics with a boat company that takes a true hands-on
approach to construction, take a trip to Beaufort, North Carolina, where
it appears that good things really do come to those who wait.
Jarrett Bay Boatworks
Phone: (252) 728-2690. www.jarrettbay.com.
Next page >
Part 3: Design concept to project completion takes
about 16 months on average. > Page 1,
2, 3
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